A Kick
by Kitera
Summary: "Good god I thought he'd never come in here."  Eames murmured to himself and slipped out of Ariadne's studio.


**A/N:** This is another cute little Arthur/Ariadne oneshot. I can't help myself I need to some cute to get me through. I'm about halfway done with the second chapter of _In Somnis Veritas_ so I promise that'll get an update soon. I would like to thank the wonderful people who have made Arthur/Ariadne fanmixes. Especially the lovely comeawaychild on LJ for her fanmix Mirrored Minds. I think I've listened to it endlessly since downloading it. I think if you squint this could almost count as one-sided Eames/Ariadne. But really you have to squint like hardcore. This hasn't been beta'd. I am truly sorry for that. I will fix it later.

**Disclaimer:** _Inception_ is property of Christopher Nolan. I own nothing.

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**A Kick**

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"It's interesting isn't it?" Eames commented conspiratorially as Ariadne walked by.

Walked wasn't the best word to describe it in Arthur's mind. Ariadne practically floated by as if they were all still in a dream. He knew they weren't though; he'd already tested for reality that morning. But that didn't stop Arthur from following Ariadnes' movements with his eyes when she passed. Ariadnes' bare feet seeming to just barely kiss the ground as she moved. A cup of coffee in one hand and iPod in the other as Ariadne headed back to her little section of the warehouse.

"Hm?" Arthur responded as if he didn't know what Eames was getting at.

"How she moves, darling, you can't say you've never noticed."

"I haven't." Arthur lied, his tone flat.

It wasn't professional he reminded himself. He and she were coworkers nothing could change with that. His eyes flickered in the direction of Cobbs "office". Cobb and Mal made that mistake and the results were disastrous. Arthur wouldn't let that happen to them. It didn't matter that all he did when he left at night was let himself think for a moment (longer really but he couldn't admit that to himself) that they were more than what they were. The memory of the kiss and the image of how she looked in the gray business suit wrapping itself around his consciousness until Arthur couldn't take it anymore. It always ended the same as the images would shift from innocuous to provocative.

"Right. Well then it wouldn't be a problem if I took her out at the end of the week." Eames said completely serious.

His hand tightened on the edge of the table and Arthur spent a few seconds consciously reminding him that he couldn't react. The idea of Eames taking Ariadne out ruffled him internally. Any date with Eames ended inevitably the same. That couldn't happen to her, she deserved better than just another scratch mark on Eames rather impressive score card of conquests.

"Cobb would have a problem with it."

"Cobb's rules never did seem all that necessary, love." There was a mischievous glint in his eye as Eames sauntered away toward Ariadne's studio-sanctuary.

Arthur could hear the soft music coming from the speakers she'd brought from her flat. Some song about not wanting to be a hero playing. What had she said once about music? It helped her forget reality and simply create. Arthur turned his head back to the schematics in front of him trying to concentrate. Not that it worked Eames voice kept running through his head on an endless loop.

"_Well then it wouldn't be a problem if I took her out at the end of the week._"

"Goddamnit." Arthur muttered and stood, striding in the same direction as Eames had only a few minutes ago.

A few feet away Arthur paused listening to Eames question her about the latest model. Eames cultured tones drifting gently through the cloth walls. It was polite and business-like conversation and if he didn't know any better he could almost hear Ariadne not responding to the flirtatious inflections of Eames voice.

Of course when subtlety wasn't working Eames moved onto the slightly more direct approach while flirting asking about her likes and dislikes about work. Manuevering the conversation toward her plans for the weekend.

"No I'm free this weekend. Why?" Ariadne responded. Was he imagining it or did she sound skeptical of Eames intentions.

Eames was just starting to explain and Arthur strode in. "Ariadne could I speak to you…alone?" He asked interrupting Eames.

"Sure. I'll be right back." Ariadne promised Eames with a smile as she followed Arthur out and into the stairway.

Neither catching Eames satisfied grin as they left.

"Good god I thought he'd never come in here." Eames murmured to himself and slipped out of her studio and headed for Yusuf's office. He could give the lovebirds a few minutes privacy before he dropped in on them.

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In the stairs Arthur finally let himself breathe. Eames was nowhere to be seen; he was alone with Ariadne. Which presented a problem all its own. He was so invested in keeping Eames from inviting her out that he hadn't thought of what to say once he was no longer the problem.

"Arthur?" She asked pulling him from his thoughts.

"Dinner Saturday at seven."

Ariadne stood staring for a moment. That wasn't exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. Maybe he was misreading her all this time.

"I'll think about it." She murmured a grin playing at her lips as she slipped by him back into the main part of the warehouse.

Maybe it hadn't been after all. He caught her wrist before she was completely out of reach.

"Ariadne, wear something off the shoulder."

She grinned and pulled away, "Go back to work Arthur, your not getting out of it now."


End file.
